Garment-hanger.



No. 666,235. Patented Ian. I5, |90|.

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GARMENT HANGER.

(Application filed. Aug. 23, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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Ilrnirn STATES ATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK M. OSGOOD, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

GARM ENT-HANG ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,235, dated January 15, 1901.

Application filed August 23, 1900. Serial No. 27,798. (No model.)

1'0 coZZ whom, it may concern.-

Beitknown that LFREDERIOK M. OSGOOD,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Manchester,in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement in Garment-Hangers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to garment-hangers, and one object is to provide an article of this class which is adjustable, so that it can be adapted to support various garments of different sizes and which will automatically and positively hold itself in any adjusted position, a further object of the invention being to provide an article such as described in which the weight of the garment will tend to extend the hanger, thus insuring a positive and effective hold of the hanger on the garment regardless of the weight of the latter.

This invention has particular reference to a device which is adapted to support a pair of trousers or a skirt, and it is in the nature of a telescopic device, it comprising two garment-supporting arms extending in opposite directions, each supported and guided by the other and each adjustable in the direction of its length, together with means for automatically locking said arms in any adjusted position, whereby the device may be extended or collapsed to fit any-sized garment.

Another feature of my invention is in the provision of means whereby the weight of the garment tends to extend the arms to thereby more firmly hold the garment, such means comprising a bail composed of two links pivoted together and one link pivoted to the inner end of each arm, as more particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view of the complete device. Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section showing the automatic locking mechanism for holding the arms extended. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of one end of one of the arms. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing one of the guides. Fig. 5 is another detail view showing one way of connecting the suspendinghook to the bail. Fig. 6 is a modification of the device shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 isa modification of the locking mechanism shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 8 is adetail perspective view of the other guide.

My hanger is in the nature of a telescopic device, and it comprises the two arms a and b, extending in opposite directions, each of which has rigidly attached to its outer end a head or holding portion 2, said head or holding portion having the concave holding-surface 3, in which the waistband of the garment supported is adapted to rest, such curved portion operating to prevent the disengagement of the garment from the holding-heads.

As garments vary considerably in size, I make each arm adjustable in the direction of its length, whereby the device may be expanded or collapsed in order to fit the particulargarmentsupportedthereby. Theconstruction by which I make the device thus expansible is preferably as follows: On the inner end of each arm I rigidly secure any suitable guide which embraces the other arm, said arms in their expansible movement being held in contact with each other by means of the guides referred to. As shown in the drawings, the arm a has at its inner end the guide-piece 4., an enlarged view of the guidepiece being shown in Fig. 8, and such guide comprises a strap of any suitable material, preferably metal, which has at its under side the inturned flanges 7, said flanges abutting against the under side of the arm ct, and the said guide being rigidly fastened to said arm by any suitable means, as a screw or rivet, passed through the aperture 6 in the guidepiece and through the end of. said arm a. The guide 4 is of such a shape as to slidingly embrace the arm b,which passes therethrough, and it has at its upper edge the rolled portion 8, which serves as a means for pivotally connecting to the guide one arm or link 9 of the suspending-bail. The arm I) has rigidly secured to its inner end the guide-piece 5, which is somewhat similar in construction to the guide-piece 4, it having the inturned flanges 10, which fold over the top of the arm I) and being of sufficient size to allow the arm a to pass therethrongh. The sides of the guide 5 have any suitable means for pivotally connecting thereto the arm 14 of the bail, preferably such means consisting of cars 11, having apertures 12 therein.

In the operation of my hanger it is essential that some means be provided to lock the device in its extended position, and I preferably employ mechanism which will automatically accomplish this object, such mechanism being in the form of a pawl 15, which plays in a recess or slot 16, cut in the end of the arm I), and which is preferably mounted upon the pin which passes through the apertures 13 of the guide 5 and serves to retain said guide in place. The upper side of the arm a is provided with a series of notches 40, which cooperate with the nose of the pawl 15, and in order to hold the nose of the pawl in working position I may employ any suitable spring, such as 17, which serves this object.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of locking means, the pawl 15', in this instance, being controlled by the spring 17, one end of the spring being bent and inserted into a hole in the arm I), the other end of the spring having a gooseneck which encircles the lower side of the pawl 15.

From the above description it will be seen that my device is a telescopic one, it comprising the two members or arms a and I), each of which are guided and supported by the other, said arms being adjustable in the direction of their length and automatic looking means being employed to hold the arms in their extended position.

In ordinary devices of this character the weight of a heavy garment will tend to bend the supporting ends of the arms toward each other, thereby allowing the garment to slip from the hanger. I have overcome this difliculty by providing mechanism wherein the weight of the goods supported thereby operates to extend the arms, thereby furnishing a stronger hold for the goods. The means whereby I accomplish this consist of the bail comprising the two links 9 and 14, said links being pivoted together, as at 18, and each having a pivotal connection with one of the guide-pieces, as above described. By means In Figs. 1 and 5 I have illustrated the said hook as being swiveled to the bail, the lower end of the hook passing through the upper side of the clip 21 and having the head 20 at the end thereof, the clip 21 being supported by the pivot 18, as shown.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a modified form of connection between the suspending-hook 19 and the bail, and in this instance the hook 19 is integral with the arm 14' and is formed with the eye 41, into which is hinged in any suitable way the end of arm 9.

In order to prevent the device from swinging when hung upon a rounded bar or other support, I make my hook of a peculiar shape, as illustrated in Fig. 1-that is, instead of making the hook on an arc of a circle, as common in this class of devices, I make the hook with the comparatively straight portions 25, forming bearing-surfaces at each side of the center thereof, the center of the hook at its apex being bent to form an angle, so that while the hook is of a general curved form,

yet it has the effect of an angular hook, the

two comparatively straight bearing-surfaces 25 being the only portions of the hook that rest on the support, thus preventing the hook from swinging transversely of the support.

To adapt my hanger for supporting trousers, I provide one of the heads 2 with the loops 30, said loops being preferably made of wire and being of such a shape as to hold the buttons on the front of the waistband therein.

In using my device as a trousers-support the buttons at the front of the waistband are sustained by the loops 30, while the rear part of the waistband is supported by the opposite head 2, the trousers thus being supported in such a way as to keep them from wrinkling.

It will be noticed, of course, that many changes may be made in various parts of my device without departing from the spirit of my invention, which resides in a telescopic garmentsupporter,the two members of which are each supported and guided by the other, all as pointed out in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A hanger for garments having two supporting-arms extended in opposite directions, each guided and supported by the other, and each adjustable in the direction of its length, one of said arms having at its end a concave holding portion for the garment, and automatic means for locking said arms in their adjusted position.

2. A hanger for garments comprising two supporting-arms, each carrying at its inner end a guide slidingly embracing the other whereby said arms can be extended or collapsed, and automatic means for locking said arms in their extended position, each of said arms having at its outer end, supporting means for the garment whereby the garment is supported only by the ends of the hanger.

3. In a garment-hanger two adjustable supporting arms extending in opposite directions, and each supported and guided by the other, a suspending-bail having one end connected to each arm, and means for automatically locking the arms in their adjusted position.

4. A telescopic garment-hanger comprising two arms'extending in opposite directions, each arm guided by the other and having at its end means to support the garment, means whereby the weight of the garment tends to extend the arms, and means for automatically locking the arms in their extended position.

5. In a garment-hanger, two adjustable In testimony whereof I have signed my garment-supporting arms extending in opponame to this specification in the presence of 10 site directions, each supported and guided by two subscribing witnesses.

the other, a suspendin -bail comprisin two parts pivoted together? each part being piv- FREDERICK OSGOOD' otally connected to the inner end of one arm, Witnesses:

and means forautomatieally locking the arms GEO. W. GREGORY,

in their adjusted position. LOUIS 0. SMITH. 

